Newman/Haas Racing

Psygnosis develops all kinds of games -- from space adventures to racers -- and thankfully it rarely misses a beat. Newman Haas Racing is right up there with the kind of quality for which the Liverpool, England-based company is known.

With Indycar games, the most important aspects in gameplay are realism. Realism in the car's feel, the replication of the actual courses, and in the numerous car set-ups. Newman Haas Racing takes realism and fleshes it out with hard-core Indycar racing. With five different perspectives, grueling sim fanatics can take the in-dash view and experience serious speed and full-fledged realism -- but will also rely far more on knowing the intricacies of the course to win. Whereas newbies can jump right in with the above-and-behind-the-roof perspective without knowing too much about the course.

One of the best qualities of the game is the option to race in either digital or analog. With most cars the digital choice is stiffer and a little more realistic. But it's also a little wonky, capice? Choosing the analog provides a looser more immediate feel that really can't be beaten. In all honesty, we chose different settings for each unique driver. This is because they all drive differently, an extremely nice -- and essential -- feature to the game. Believe it or not, many Indycar games arrive with little to no variation in the feel of the car, and it's a shame.

With three driving modes, drivers can get right to the action, be it in Single Race (any single race), Challenge (linear set of races that increase in difficulty near the top), and Championship (the whole set of races). Players also can start from as many as 16 different real-life racers, each with his own uniquely designed car. What would an Indycar game be like if you couldn't tailor your car to the course? Well, in the niftily clean, circular interface, gamers can choose from altering the transmission, fuel, tire wear, turbo, steer assist, brake assist, front wing, and rear wing. Interestingly enough, gamers can also choose what kind of pit stops they want, and the game AI recommends the kind you should have once you're in the pit.

Multicar crashes are always good for pure destructive excitement, and Newman Haas delivers, with mixed results. When cars do hit in real life, that's usually the end of the road (if not your life!). Here, players spin with excellent physics and momentum, providing that second or two of control loss that makes you cringe before bringing you back in control. And lots of cars can collide -- well as many as four did for me -- but there was a disturbing effect that does more than distract you here. When contacting another car, the camera automatically flips to a high and sideways point of view. This seems cool enough because you get a better look at what's happening, but really, in a race where split seconds make or brake your ability to win, these views are just short of lame. They provide unwanted distractions that threw me off balance for longer than I wanted, and made me feel stupid for even touching another car. I would have felt stupid for hitting a cart anyway, but this just enhances my misery! Studio 33 would have done better by zooming out from the point you'd already chosen, if at all.

The game is packed with great music, a mix of funk and rock that doesn't get in the way and isn't too hair-metalish or cheesy. In fact, I could've sworn the sound designers were listening to Stevie Wonder albums for those electronic piano sounds. The sound effects are good, too. For a PlayStation game they are standard, but that means the settings are varied, it's stereo, and they're smooth as silk.

Finally, the game offers respectable historical option settings, as well as stats galore. For gamers who like the sim in simulators, and just have to play the latest Indycar game, take a good hard look at Newman Haas Racing.